Montréal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Mar 31, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 31, 2026 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 4 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 1 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 1 | 4 | 17:04 | 0.27 | 1.84 |
| 2nd | Juraj Slafkovský | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:11 | 0.14 | 1.80 |
| 3rd | Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19:33 | 0.47 | 1.73 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 12:25 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Ivan Demidov, Cole Caufield | 3v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 13:41 | TBL | Jake Guentzel | Zemgus Girgensons, Ryan McDonagh | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 12:49 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Juraj Slafkovský, Mike Matheson | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 17:55 | MTL | Mike Matheson | — | 6v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 18:54 | MTL | Nick Suzuki | — | 6v5 | 4–1 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 23 | 37 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.05 | 3.69 |
| High-danger shots | 4 | 17 |
| Corsi % | 40.2% | 59.8% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 0/4 |
| Faceoff % | 54.1% | 45.9% |
| Hits | 23 | 21 |
| Blocks | 17 | 9 |
| Giveaways | 8 | 17 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 4 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 17:04 | 0.27 | 1.84 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 19:11 | 0.14 | 1.80 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 20:27 | 0.79 | 1.06 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 23:28 | 0.28 | 0.90 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:37 | 0.00 | 0.48 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26:11 | 0.05 | 0.43 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15:43 | 0.28 | 0.40 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:18 | 0.05 | 0.32 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:48 | 0.01 | 0.24 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:03 | 0.14 | 0.22 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:32 | 0.28 | 0.04 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:44 | 0.07 | -0.00 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:43 | 0.00 | -0.04 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:57 | 0.02 | -0.19 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:14 | 0.05 | -0.26 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:30 | 0.09 | -0.34 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:45 | 0.14 | -0.53 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:45 | 0.00 | -0.55 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:33 | 0.47 | 1.73 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21:06 | 0.20 | 1.12 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15:58 | 0.10 | 0.94 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:42 | 0.18 | 0.82 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:15 | 0.36 | 0.64 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:43 | 0.01 | 0.59 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14:19 | 0.31 | 0.32 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:35 | 0.02 | 0.30 |
| Brayden Point | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 20:32 | 0.49 | 0.20 |
| Scott Sabourin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:05 | 0.00 | 0.17 |
| Nick Paul | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:47 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 22:21 | 0.17 | 0.03 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:49 | 0.07 | -0.05 |
| Corey Perry | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:51 | 0.08 | -0.07 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 23:10 | 0.57 | -0.31 |
| Emil Lilleberg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:17 | 0.00 | -0.46 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:55 | 0.02 | -0.52 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:23 | 0.00 | -0.55 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 36 | 37 | 97.3% | 2.05 | W |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 19 | 21 | 90.5% | -0.08 | L |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–1 on Mar 31, 2026.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.69 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 3.05 — Tampa Bay Lightning owned the better of the chances but Montréal Canadiens took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Cole Caufield led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.84 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Jakub Dobes stopped 36 of 37, worth 2.05 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–1 on Mar 31, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Cole Caufield led all skaters at 1.84, on 1G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.69 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 3.05, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 23 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 37. High-danger chances went 4 to 17.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jakub Dobes stopped 36 of 37 (2.05 goals saved above expected); Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 of 21 (-0.08 goals saved above expected).